History

See also: Citron § Origin and distribution

Lemon external surface and cross-section

The origin of the lemon is unknown, though lemons are thought to have first grown in Assam (a
region in northeast India), northern Burma or China.[2][failed verification] A genomic study of the lemon
indicated it was a hybrid between bitter orange (sour orange) and citron.[3][4]
Lemons entered Europe near southern Italy no later than the second century AD, during the time
of Ancient Rome.[2] However, they were not widely cultivated. They were later introduced
to Persia and then to Iraq and Egypt around 700 AD.[2] The lemon was first recorded in literature
in a 10th-century Arabic treatise on farming, and was also used as an ornamental plant in
early Islamic gardens.[2] It was distributed widely throughout the Arab world and
the Mediterranean region between 1000 and 1150.[2] An article on Lemon and lime tree
cultivation in Andalusia of Spain is brought down in Ibn al-'Awwam's 12th-century agricultural
work, Book on Agriculture.[5]
The first substantial cultivation of lemons in Europe began in Genoa in the middle of the 15th
century. The lemon was later introduced to the Americas in 1493 when Christopher
Columbus brought lemon seeds to Hispaniola on his voyages. Spanish conquest throughout the
New World helped spread lemon seeds. It was mainly used as an ornamental plant and for
medicine.[2] In the 19th century, lemons were increasingly planted in Florida and California.[2]
In 1747, James Lind's experiments on seamen suffering from scurvy involved adding lemon juice
to their diets, though vitamin C was not yet known as an important dietary ingredient.[2][6]
The origin of the word lemon may be Middle Eastern.[2] The word draws from the Old
French limon, then Italian limone, from the Arabic laymūn or līmūn, and from the Persian līmūn, a
generic term for citrus fruit, which is a cognate of Sanskrit (nimbū, 'lime').[7]

Varieties
Detailed taxonomic illustration by Franz Eugen Köhler.

The 'Bonnie Brae' is oblong, smooth, thin-skinned and seedless.[8] These are mostly grown
in San Diego County, USA.[9]
The 'Eureka' grows year-round and abundantly. This is the common supermarket lemon, also
known as 'Four Seasons' (Quatre Saisons) because of its ability to produce fruit and flowers
together throughout the year. This variety is also available as a plant to domestic
customers.[10] There is also a pink-fleshed Eureka lemon, with a green and
yellow variegated outer skin.[11]
The Lisbon lemon is very similar to the Eureka and is the other common supermarket lemon. It is
smoother than the Eureka, has thinner skin, and has fewer or no seeds. It generally produces
more juice than the Eureka.[12][13]
The 'Femminello St. Teresa', or 'Sorrento'[14] is native to Italy. This fruit's zest is high in lemon oils.
It is the variety traditionally used in the making of limoncello.
The 'Yen Ben' is an Australasian cultivar.[15]